Bullying Overview

To meet the criteria for bullying, the bully, or a group of bullies, must pick on someone who is perceived to be weaker, they must intend to cause harm with their actions and their harmful actions must occur repeatedly over time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), bullying occurs
when an individual or a group of people repeatedly picks on a person who
is weaker than the bully or bullies.

Bullying can be physical, involving direct violence or intimidation,
it can be verbal, involving taunting, insults or teasing or it can be
indirect and involve such tactics as rumor spreading or trying to
influence others to reject or dislike the victim.

Bullying can occur in person, or it can occur via the internet or through texting.1

Ostracizing the victim – making sure that others also reject him or her

Making the victim do things they don’t want to do

Spreading malicious rumors

Sexual assault

Writing embarrassing or malicious things about the victim online on facebook, on chat forums, through IM and through other media

Who Gets Bullied?

Some people get bullied for no apparent reason at all, but there are
some people who may be at greater risk of bullying, such as:

People who look or act differently

People from a minority race

People with disabilities

People from different religions

Gay, lesbian or transgendered persons

People who look as though they will not defend themselves from bullying attacks

Bullying Consequences

Bullying is not a normal part of the childhood or teen experience. It
doesn’t need to happen and when it does go on for a protracted length
of time the consequences can be serious – and in some case can last for a
lifetime.

Research shows that children and teens who get bullied are far more
likely to experience psychological problems, such as a low emotional
well being and depression or anxiety, problems with social adjustment
and even physical health symptoms. People who experience persistent
bullying as children and teens can experience the negative consequences
of this experience well into adulthood and people who persistently bully
as children and teens are far more likely to become violent and
anti-social adults.

People who are bullied may:

Be afraid to go to school/not want to go to school

Lose interest in activities that were previously enjoyed

Feel lowered self esteem

Experience symptoms of depression or anxiety (social anxiety) and these symptoms can endure into adulthood

Experience insomnia or nightmares

Experience
physical health problems, such as stomach aches, eczema or headaches
(in one study, being bullied resulted in health complaints that
persisted for 3 years beyond the bullying)

Do more poorly in school (have lower average GPA, be more likely to skip school, be more likely to drop out of school)

Be
more likely to have suicidal thoughts (in one study, being bullied in
childhood was associated with a 300% increase in likelihood of having
suicidal thoughts as an adult)

And it’s not only those who
get bullied who suffer in the long run – research shows that bullies are
also less likely to thrive in the long term and that an estimated 60%
of middle school bullies will have a criminal record by the age of 24.